Jephthah, a God-Made Hero

Sermon Series: A New Kind of Hero (Book of Judges)

Message given Sunday, November 3, 2013

By Pastor Keith Sobus at Armbrust Wesleyan Church

Welcome to our group! So everyone can get to know everyone, go around the room with everyone taking turns telling:

  1. Your name.
  2. An answer to one or two of these questions. (If your group is large, only answer one each.)
  • Pastor Keith joked about how Jephthah was a hard to pronounce name. (One too many h. :) What is the most unusual name in your family or ancestry? Where did it come from? - or -
  • What were your grandparents names? Who was your favorite one when you were a kid? Why? - or -
  • Do you know anyone or have anyone in your family who might be called a self-made man or woman? How so?

Now, take turns answering these questions. Not everyone needs to answer each question. Try not to be the person who is first to answer them all. 

Abimelek: The self-made leader.

  1. Have someone read Judges 8:29 - 9:6 to the group.
  2. Who are Abimelek’s parents?
  3. Why does Abimelek want to be the leader? Why do the people of Shechem want Abimelek to be their leader?
  4. Pastor Keith described Abimelek as a self-made man here. In what ways is Abimelek self-made? What attributes of this are less than admirable?

Jephthah: The God-made leader.

  1. Have someone read Judges 11:1-11 to the group.
  2. What are some similarities and differences between Abimelek and Jephthah, either from Pastor Keith’s sermon or from the text?
  3. How would you feel if you were Jephthah? How would you have responded to the elders of Gilead?
  4. How is Jephthah a God-made man and not a self-made man?
  5. Pastor Keith adapted eight characteristics in Jephthah that made him a God-made man as principals for us to be God-made and not self-made. Of these eight characteristics, which one or two do you need to work on the most and how might you go about doing that?
  • Know that it’s not about your origins. How might your origins affect the way you relate to God or others?
  • Be a full person; attract empty people. How might someone become more “full”?
  • Identify your burden. What’s your God-given passion? How can you take more action over what’s burdening you?
  • Work out of God’s power. What are some helpful tips to ensure we’re working out of God’s power?
  • Be peaceful and self-controlled. What are some helpful ways for taking back control?
  • Acknowledge God in all you do. On a practical level, what does this look like and how do we do it?
  • Know that you won’t always be right. How does always thinking we’re right limit us from God’s potential for us?
  • Be quick to repent & accept blame.What’s good about a repentant heart? How does accepting blame benefit us?
  1. If you have extra time, read Judges 11:29-39. What is this story meant to teach us? What couldit teach us today?

Closing

  1. Is there anything we didn’t discuss about this Sunday’s message that was interesting or important to you?
  2. Go around the room and share any requests for which you would like prayer. Then, either take turns praying for these prayers, or invite a few who are comfortable with praying in public to pray for these requests.